About music and motivation

A key to this little book is the music that will go with it. I'm making arrangements to register the song, but to do so I need a copy of the music. Talk about a comedy of errors. I haven't had any musical training since I was maybe 10 or 11, and I was not a good student. In addition, I have no musical instrument to try to make the song on, so I was on a site with a partial electronic key board. I'd plunk around until I found the sequence that sounded right, and then I wrote the letters down. The only problem was that the keyboard didn't span the octave and a half that I needed, but the song did. I'd have to switch from A below middle C to A below high C to play the complete phrase, or movement, or moment or whatever it is called...to get all my notes in the right order. Next, I printed out a blank set of lines, and using my "FACE" and "Every Good Boy Does Fine" mnemonics, I drew little circles where the notes would go. Then I sat there singing and tapping and tapping and singing, trying to get the length of the notes right. Lucky for me, the song only uses notes I already knew how to draw! I scanned in the hand drawn music, and used a word-processor to add the lyrics over the top. This is what I took to my friend Jan. She played it for me, and said she liked it. She asked if I'd be willing to let her students perform it in the December concert. I'd be delighted. I said as much. In any case, she's going to get a printout for me from a friend of hers- so I'll have the hard copy to send in for the registration. She also is going to arrange it for harp and strings. I am really looking forward to hearing it again, with others involved. Note to self- this networking thing is cool!

I called today to see if she had the hard copy, but she was not available. I do hope to take care of that before I go to Las Vegas for a wedding late next week. I'm not a musician of any sort, but this part has been fun for me. The reading of web-site after web site, slogging through the Writer's Market articles...that is depressing after a while. Also, revisiting the pain of some of the novel draft is wearing. After a very little scrap of time spent typing, I feel a strong need to just put the manuscript away for a while. If it bothers me this much to re-read it and type it, why on earth would anyone else want to read it at all. I'm sure glad I have the children's book to help me along and keep me motivated.

Oh, a positive note, my artist gave me an agent's name, and when I called, he said he'd like to talk to me further, but he was not feeling well at the time I called. I e-mailed him today. I do hope I hear back soon.

Progress?

I got the first rough sketch from the artist today. I had an e-mail from him last week that it would be coming today, and I must have checked the e-mail 50 times...and there, at 10:30 AM, was the sketch. The characters are wonderful...beautiful detail. The sketch was a possible layout for the cover. I had a few small suggestions, but I was pleased with the character development.

I also met with Jan M. She has access to a computer program that does professional looking sheet music, so I should be able to get that as early as Friday of this week, and send it off for the registration as soon as I make a zillion photocopies! She was so sweet - she talked about performing the song at a concert in December. I also met the woman I spoke to on the phone earlier in the summer. She's teaching at the elementary school where I walk. She had duty this morning, and we just struck up a conversation. I approached her on a whim. It turns out she and I have a great deal in common.

I've started in retyping the first draft of the novel. I have the pages, but they are hard-copy, and impossible to edit easily. I am not happy about parts of it, but I can not yet see the solution to my objections in my mind. When I was designing the children's book, as soon as I solved a key question of narration, the rest just fell into place. This is harder. Some passages are too conversational. If I'm going to tell it from the child's point of view instead of from the safety of adulthood looking back, I'm really going to have to refine the voice. I still think first person is the best approach, but I am not "convinced" about just who my narrator is.

In all, yes, I'm making progress, but not quickly. I want it all done yesterday.
Unfortunately,I rarely get what I want. Perhaps that's a good thing in disguise! I want some silly stuff sometimes.

Well, at least the house is clean.

We've had a schedule change. As my son goes off to school each day, I've been finding lots of things other than writing to do. Three nights each week, I spend 2 or more hours at his football practice now. I don't have to, but it is an opportunity for me to walk, and I know he likes having us there. He is growing up so fast it is amazing. I do need to buckle down and get some work done, though. Tom is talking about staying home beginning in January. I don't know if that's just because he had a bad week, or because he is ready, finally, to take care of himself.

I called Jan M. today, a friend from my teaching days. I've got an appointment next Friday at 2:30 to see her and have her check the music for accuracy. She's such a sweet person.

I'm also going to see my teaching friend M. M. - and take her to lunch in all likelihood.

I've been fighting depression the last few weeks. We'll see how the next week or so go.

editing

The sentences I wrote a few days ago didn't really work as an opening salvo, after all. The first couple of sentences need to state the problem, arriving quickly at that moment when the character's life changes forever. This would not be that moment. Better leave it for another point in the story. I was telling someone recently that editing my own work is difficult for me. I fall in love with this sentence or that passage, and cutting it is like turning my back on something inside myself. I've read of authors who write bare-bones the first time through, and use re-writes to layer in depth and clarity. My own process is more ...um...promiscuous. I put down all my thoughts, and then try to sort through to find the ones that belong.

Regarding music - I think I'll need to handle that as a "plus item" rather than a novelty book. I need to check the manufacturer for a music box I already have to see if they take commission work. I've also e-mailed the music director at the local high school to proof-read the lullaby for me. He's to contact me when he has time to work with me.


Regarding art - I called a niece to send a few photos that I could forward to the artist. She's a beautiful young mother, exactly the kind of young woman I had imagined for the lullaby. The girl wasn't in, so I called my sister. I also need to put "write to my niece" on my to-do list.

I stopped at Staples while the guys were at a fast food place nearby. They can do a 16 page tape bound copy with a clear cover. That would have the first and last pages as the book cover. It would be like a bound galley to see how the book actually worked. Documenting how it goes over would be "research" for the publisher.

It's late. I should get going.